Make the ultimate date night at home dessert with this Chocolate Mousse Cake. All parts are made from scratch and super easy to do!
There's something so special about making a fancy dessert at home. Whether you had a nice dinner or just sandwiches, this can be a real treat. Make smaller slices for the kids or save it up for grown up time after they go to bed!
If you're craving brownies come summer, I've perfect Dutch Oven Campfire Brownies! I wouldn't take mousse with but you can easily carry whipped cream and berries in your cooler. If chocolate's not your thing, Peach Whip gives me great memories of childhood.
Key Ingredients
Brownies - Whip up super easy from-scratch brownies to use as our rich and decadent cake base.
Mousse - We'll make a quick chocolate mousse with an egg yolk custard and dark chocolate.
Whipped Cream - Stir your mousse into this for the lightest, fluffiest filling. Also use some on top!
How to Make Chocolate Mousse Cake
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Whisk eggs into dry ingredients.
Step 2: Pour in melted butter and any desired mix-ins.
Step 3: Bake until just done.
Step 4: Cook up egg yolks with sugar and water to a thick custard.
Step 5: Stir in chocolate and butter until glossy and smooth.
Step 6: Whip up fresh cream.
Step 7: Gently fold the chocolate custard into the whipped cream.
Step 8: Spread mousse evenly over brownies and chill. Slice and serve.
FAQs
I like to go all out when it's Valentine's or a birthday. Make 8 slices and stack two up for each serving. Top with whipped cream and berries and it's a real treat! You can also just cut four large, flat slices if you aren't confident in stacking. If you're serving a large family like mine, no one will complain if they get a smaller flat slice but topped with whipped cream and even syrup and nuts.
This is when you dig into your hidden stash! I like a 60% cocoa bar for the mousse. I feel like that hits just the right spot of deep chocolate without being too sweet. There is sugar in the mousse, but I don't add any when I whip the cream. I feel this balances everything out! If you have darker chocolate, feel free to add a bit of sugar to the whipping cream first.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Recipes
Hey friends, don't forget to follow me over on Instagram, cause if you like me here, I post there a LOT! I'm also on YouTube with tutorials and Facebook for all sorts of things.
If you like this recipe, I’d love if you reviewed it so others can find it easier. Sharing this recipe on Facebook or Pinterest is another way you can help us out at no cost to you. Thanks, xo Kate
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ingredients
Brownie Base:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts chocolate chips, pecans or whatever you like in your brownies (optionaL)
Chocolate Mousse:
- 2 large egg yolks
- 120 grams dark chocolate we used 60% cocoa
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup water
Whipped Cream:
- ½ cup whipping cream very cold
- Pinch of sea salt
Topping:
- More whipped cream
- Fresh berries
Instructions
Brownie Base:
- Preheat over to 350°F. Melt butter in a small saucepan and set aside.
- In a bowl mix sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and crack two eggs into it. Add vanilla.
- Using Danish dough whisk, fork, or wooden spoon, whisk eggs well then stir into dry ingredients while streaming in melted butter. Mix the batter together until well combined. Add in your add-ins at this point, mixing together.
- Spread into a greased 8x8 pan.
- Bake for about 35-40 min, or until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't over bake.
- Cool and then chill until ready for mousse and toppings.
Chocolate Mousse:
- Chop chocolate into small pieces and set aside.
- To a mixing bowl, add egg yolks, sugar, water, and salt and whisk well.
- Pour into sauce pan and continue to whisk on low-medium heat until thick and hot to the touch.
- When custard is thick and hot, remove from heat and add chocolate and butter, and whisk until chocolate is melted.
- Whisk occasionally to further cool the mixture to just above room temperature. Caution, if cooled too long, the mixture may get too firm to fold into whipped cream. Now is not the time to walk away!
- Whisk or blend chilled cream until peaks start to form.
- Transfer around a third of chocolate custard into whipped cream folding with spatula until almost incorporated then add remaining chocolate mix continuing to fold until gone. Keep it fluffy!
- Spread mousse evenly over chilled brownies.
- Chill pan for at least 20 minutes.
- Cut cake into either 8 pieces if you intend to double stack, or 4 larger pieces for a flatter slice.
- Carefully stack two slices on a plate, and top with whipped cream and berries or any other desired toppings.
Notes
- I don't sweeten the whipped cream for the mousse because that would be too much.
- Dark chocolate is best so the mousse isn't overwhelmingly sweet.
Julie Majors
I'm curious why the water in the mousse -- and could you use milk for decadence?
Julie Majors
Admin - could you link/suggest this recipe from "upscale pudding" recipe? I knew there was recently a pudding/mousse recipe from Kate but didn't think to search mousse. I had to search emails and thankfully found it.